1. Field of the Inventions
The present inventions are related to portable computers and peripheral devices for use with portable computers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Personal computers, which allow people to easily perform tasks such as word processing, spreadsheet calculations, database manipulation, drafting, e-mail message transmission, and internet searches for information, have become ubiquitous in recent years. They have also become entertainment devices in that they may be used to play video games and enjoy audio/video material. Although personal computers were initially desktop devices, the fact that they have become such an integral portion of the average person""s life has led to the development of portable computers such as laptop computers and, more recently, notebook computers. Portable computers have proven to be a significant advance because they are relatively small (i.e. about 13 inches wide, 10.5 inches long and 1.5 inches high) and lightweight (i.e. about 5 lbs.). As a result, people are able to easily transport portable computers to remote locations where they can perform the same tasks and enjoy the same entertainment that they could with their relatively immobile desktop computers.
Personal computers, both desktop and portable, are often used in conjunction with one or more peripheral devices such as a mouse, joystick and/or any other device that is moved or otherwise manipulated in order to control some aspect of the operation of the computer. Such peripheral devices must be transported with portable computers. The inventor herein has determined that conventional methods of transporting peripheral devices, such as carrying them separately or loading them into a carrying case with the portable computer, are inconvenient. The inventor herein has also determined that conventional peripheral devices are themselves susceptible to improvement.
A portable computer system in accordance with one embodiment of a present invention includes a portable computer including a keyboard, a display, and a computer mechanical connector and a peripheral device including a movement sensor and a peripheral device mechanical connector configured to mate with the computer mechanical connector. Such a system avoids, for practical purposes, the aforementioned problems in the art. Most notably, because the portable computer and peripheral device may be carried as a single unit when connected to one another, the present invention allows users to conveniently transport both without having to carry them separately or load them into a separate carrying case.
A peripheral device in accordance with one embodiment of a present invention includes a housing, a first movement sensor adapted to sense movement of the housing relative to a surface on which the device is used, a movable member movable relative to the housing, and a second movement sensor adapted to sense relative movement between the housing and the movable member. In one implementation of the invention, the first sensor will be operable when the peripheral device is in one orientation relative to the surface and the second sensor will be operable when the device is in another orientation relative to the surface. Such a peripheral device is superior to conventional peripheral devices because it can take the place of two typically separate peripheral devices, such as a mouse and a joystick, thereby reducing the number of peripheral devices that, for example, a person must transport with a portable computer.
The above described and many other features and attendant advantages of the present inventions will become apparent as the inventions become better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.